1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a calorimeter, and more particularly, to a duplex calorimeter for a thermal energy network based on a duplex heat transaction.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A thermal energy network is a system in which a heat source and a consumer are connected through a pipe transporting a heating medium. An existing district heating manner is one kind of the thermal energy network system.
A conventional thermal energy network system is a one-way heat supplying manner in which heat energy is supplied from a supply side to a demand side. More specifically, if the supply side supplies a high temperature heating medium to the demand side, the demand side obtains the heat energy from the high temperature heating medium. The heating medium having a low temperature by providing the heat energy to the demand side is collected again to the supply side.
At this time, a calorimeter is provided in order to charge a fee based on a calorific value of the heat energy supplied from the supply side to the demand side. The calorimeter may be installed at one of a supplying pipe or a collecting pipe. This is because an amount of the heating medium supplied from the supply side to the demand side is the same as that of heating medium collected from the demand side to the supply side. Generally, since the supplying pipe receives the high temperature heating medium and thus has a high temperature, the calorimeter is mainly installed at the collecting pipe in order to avoid the calorimeter from being exposed to the high temperature.
The calorimeter includes a flowmeter, a thermometer, and a calculating part. The flowmeter measures a flow rate of the heating medium between the supply side and the demand side, the thermometer measures a temperature difference between the heating medium being supplied and the heating medium being collected, and the calculating part calculates the calorific value of the heat energy supplied from the supply side to the demand side based on the measured flow rate and temperature difference.
Meanwhile, leading on from the one-way thermal energy network in which heat is supplied from only the supply side, a new thermal energy network system based on a duplex heat transaction is recently arising.
In a duplex heat transaction system, the supply side supplies the heat energy to the demand side, and when the demand side produces surplus heat energy through its own heat source, the demand side may supply the heat energy to the supply side.
This duplex heat transaction may be achieved between the demand sides as well as between the supply side and the demand side.
Therefore, upon the duplex heat transaction, it is necessary to precisely measure the calorific value supplied from the supply side to the demand side.
However, since only a one-way calorific value is measured in a conventional calorimeter, measurement itself of a duplex calorific value is impossible. In order to measure the duplex calorific value, it is necessary to separately provide the calorimeter in each direction.